How Science And Rifles Can Save Avian Lives At The Berkeley Pit

Mark Mariano does daily waterfowl observations rounds at the Berkeley Pit during migration season. October 2018.

Nora Saks
/ MTPR

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How Lasers And Rifles Can Save Avian Lives At The Berkeley Pit

With the fall bird migration now in full swing, the companies in charge of Butte’s Berkeley Pit are using their new and improved scientific bird-hazing program to keep birds away. This week, their program got put to the test.

“These birds landing in the Pit is akin to when you’re driving across country and you can no longer hold your eyes open or you’re going to literally crash and die. And you pull off at the sketchiest exit and sleep in your car,” says Mark Mariano, an ecological restoration specialist contracted by Montana Resources, which owns the active copper mine next door.

Mariano, who’s closely involved with the program, says up until this week, things were really slow. They went days without seeing any birds at all. But that all changed on Tuesday.

Mark Mariano, a contractor hired by Montana Resources, in the "bird shack" at the Berkeley Pit, where he does daily waterfowl observations. October 2018.

Credit Nora Saks / MTPR

“People all over Butte said they saw hundreds of thousands of snow geese flying over. We were notified by the public and of course by our network. And since then, we’ve been busy. And nothing has stayed on the Pit. So that’s been the good thing. One hundred percent success since the migration, since the bulk of it started here.”

Mariano says there’s still open water all around Butte, and while lots of birds passed through the valley and the skies were full, they saw only a tiny percentage visit the Berkeley Pit.

So far this migration season, there’s been one bird mortality there. A common loon died in October.

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